


One-Time Only

by Not_You



Series: one only understands the things that one tames [21]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Contracts, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff and Angst, Holding Hands, M/M, Natasha Is a Good Bro, Negotiations, Phil Coulson & Pepper Potts Friendship, Punishment, Relationship Negotiation, Sexual Dysfunction, Sleepy Cuddles, Team Feels, adults using their words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-23
Updated: 2014-03-23
Packaged: 2018-01-16 17:21:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1355524
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_You/pseuds/Not_You
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint demands to be punished.  Phil just wants to make him feel better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One-Time Only

**Author's Note:**

> No actual punishment in this one, just relationship negotiations.

Natasha is the first to come forward, of course. She comes creeping into their bed before sunrise, and Phil just pulls her into his arms along with Clint. It’s so soothing to be bookended by trusted subs, breathing in their beloved scents and saying nothing. He pets them both and basks in their presence until later morning, when he wakes up for good to find that the most of the others have come skulking in at some point. After leaving Phil respectfully alone for that first day, they couldn’t bear to stay away anymore and are here now. It’s touching to see Steve and Bruce cooking breakfast in Clint’s disused kitchen, Tony and Pepper sitting beside the bed and Clint sitting up next to him.

“I know, I know, it’s creepy and all,” Tony says, “but wild fucking horses couldn’t drag either of us away right now. See? I said ‘us.’ I’m admitting to having a feeling, you know I’m serious.”

Pepper just takes Phil’s hands in hers, eyes glittering with unshed tears. He squeezes her dainty fingers, and then pulls her into a hug much more protracted than their usual, because it’s not every day Phil comes back from the dead. She leans into him and holds on for a long time, a ghost of Clint’s clinging. Clint leans against Phil’s back, and he sighs, letting Pepper go at last and snuggling Clint. No one says much until after the food is served, when they start offering to run errands or do anything else that needs doing.

Phil lets himself be babied, because it’s just part and parcel of the team pampering Clint, who assuredly deserves it after everything he’s been through. Phil taps into all his unused laziness and spends pretty much every moment of his day in physical contact with Clint. They lie in bed a lot, and Phil wakes and sleeps to the sound and taste and scent and perfect warm heaviness of Clint. For a long time, that's enough. And then they start to kiss and touch with intent again, and for another time, that's enough. And then Phil can't take it anymore, and one morning he wakes Clint up with kisses and then rolls him onto his back, straddling him the same way he did the first time. He slicks himself up and sinks down onto Clint and it's so fucking good... and then Clint starts to cry. Not in a good way, either. In a hard, wracking way, a pathetic keen escaping him as he goes soft and slips out.

“Ssshhh. Clint. Clint, it's okay. It's okay.” Phil leans down and covers him in kisses, murmuring that Clint is his good boy and that everything is all right as Clint sobs and apologizes and clings to him. Clint whimpers that he's not a good boy, that he let Phil down and betrayed everyone. Phil sighs, sitting up and pulling Clint into his lap, holding him there as he struggles weakly, whimpering that he doesn't deserve this, that Phil shouldn't waste time touching him. That he's worthless and bad and doesn't deserve to be Phil's sub. Phil just holds him and lets him cry himself out, murmuring gentle denials the whole time. He doesn't expect Clint to believe him, but he has to say something. Finally his poor boy shudders to a stop. Phil kisses his salty cheek. “Sweetheart. What can I give you that will help?”

“Punish me.” Clint's voice cracks, and he pulls away enough to look into Phil's eyes, his own eyes red and swollen with misery.

“...I swore to you that I never would. It's in our contract, Clint.”

“I know.” Tears well up in Clint's eyes again and his voice breaks. “I know I'm being bad again and asking you to break your word, and--” 

Phil puts a finger to Clint's lips, silencing him. “You're asking to renegotiate a single term of our contract. There's nothing wrong with that. If a punishment will honestly help you feel less guilty about something that wasn't even your fault to begin with, I'll give you one.”

After that they're able to make a late start to their day, and Clint even manages to smile. Phil lets him have a couple more days of cuddling and recovery, and then tells him to find a witness for their renegotiation. They could go far enough to get actual legal help, but usually things like this are just witnessed by a trusted friend. In this case, Natasha. She arrives promptly, sitting down at Clint's kitchen table with them. Clint looks like a little kid forced into a suit and tie on school picture day, squirming in his chair.

“All right,” Natasha says, “what are we doing?”

“I need to be punished,” Clint mutters. “I know Phil doesn't want to and I'm sorry.”

“I want you to feel better, Clint. I don't like the idea of punishing you, but I love giving you what you need.”

Natasha smiles and takes Clint's hand, squeezing gently. He returns the pressure, and one side of his mouth curls in his old, smartass smile. Seeing that expression on his face makes Phil feel like cheering. “I guess I can live with that,” Clint says, lacing his fingers with Natasha's.

“All right. Do you want to reserve the right to invoke this clause later, or make it a single instance?”

“...Single, please.”

Phil bites back an audible sigh of relief. He has had subs that he punished once a week for all their small transgressions, but that had been there from the beginning. For Clint to ask for punishment is a far more troubling thing. Then again, Clint is troubled. “I'm glad,” is all Phil says. “Limits?”

“...Uh, same as always, except I might want to protest. Sorry.”

“I can accept that, but if you beg me to stop, I will, even without a safeword. I have my own limits.”

Clint nods. “I just... I don't know what I might say. I wanna keep my options open.”

Phil nods. “Do I have complete discretion within your limits?”

“Yes,” Clint says. “I'll take what you give me.”

Phil has to get up and kiss Clint then, and goes and gets their original contract to add in this one-time clause by hand. Clint reads it over and signs it, looking anxious and relieved at the same time.


End file.
